simplicity sake

the power of less project: an upcoming series

We are Simplicity Sake are all reading the new book The Power of Less by Leo Babauta, author of the blog Zen Habits. It is a book club of sorts. There are three of us here so far - Linsey, Robin and Karin. We spent last weekend together, talking about our dreams, plans, goals, talents and the desire to be less stressed in our lives, while at the same time having more impact on the world around us. We picked up this book and it immediately resonated with all of us. We have decide to create a Power of Less Project here at Simplicity Sake - we all be focusing on our own goals, taking each chapter or section of the book at a time and writing about our progress.

About The Power of Less: Do Less. Get More Done. With the countless distractions that come from every corner of modern life, it’s amazing that we’re ever able to accomplish anything. The Power of Less demonstrates how to streamline your life by identifying the essential and eliminating the unnecessary — freeing you from everyday clutter and allowing you to focus on accomplishing the goals that can change your life for the better. By setting limits for yourself and making the most of the resources you already have, you’ll be able to work less, work smarter, and focus on living the life that you deserve.

We invite you to read along with us and join in the ride.

escape from email hell

So the whole GTD thing (Getting Things Done, if you didn't know)...I have tried it at various times with varying degrees of success. Last year, I read David Allen's hugely popular book and set up a paper system. That worked...sort of...for a little while. Then I kept forgetting my little tickler files everywhere, and hey, I'm a digital girl at heart, so I abandoned it. What followed what one of the most chaotic times in my life, both personally and professionally.

December took the cake. I was stretched to the very limit, and what I got done was only because there was a fire and I was the extinguisher. No time for extra planning and tracking. When I did that, other things would fail. I was exhausted. I entertained fantasies of quitting my job and becoming a yoga instructor. I was short with the kids. I did not enjoy my "off time" because what I had to do (or MIGHT have to do, buried in the depths of my follow up emails) was always lurking in the back of my head.

Enter Inbox Zero.

I had known about this great blog called 43 folders (named for the ticker file idea of a folder for each of the 31 days in a month, plus 12 more folders for the months in the year). Had not spent much time on it, but had good intentions. One evening, not sure why, I decided to watch a Google Tech Talk given by 43 Folder's author, Merlin Mann. Only an hour long. Wow, it has changed my life. 

I won't get into the specifics of the Inbox Zero strategy, but I will tell you about the results. 

I just spent a week in all-day meetings where computers were highly discouraged. Wanna know how many emails are in my inbox? Zilch. In my previous life, I would have probably had 300 emails flagged for follow up after a week in meetings. Keeping my inbox empty has been my goal for the past 7 days. I have gottten good at this: Delete, Delegate, Respond, Defer, Do. It's become my mantra. 

The biggest plus? My stress level has taken a HUGE hit. I don't feel like I'm a slave to my inbox anymore. It's not hanging over my head.  Truthfully, it's not. I have enjoyed my children more this weekend. I have given attention to my husband. I have planned some social events and activities just for me. Hey, I think I'm actually getting MORE done, but it feels a whole lot easier.

What are you doing right now? Just surfing the web? Go watch Inbox Zero. It's an hour. Go watch it right now. You will thank me. 

it's just a post

Okay, so I'm just on the phone with my lovely twin sister, Linsey, and we're chatting about the whole blog posting thing. Linsey is a heavy duty blogger. Me.....not so much. Why? Because my life is truly crazy. Out of control. I mean, I have a HUGE deadline at work on Thursday. I'll be up until midnight working on that, and I still won't be even close to being where I would *like* to be. (I work some strange hours, since I live in Eastern Canada and have fairly leisurely mornings with my kids, but still, midnight is late to be working). My house could use some serious attention...we still have suitcases from our December trip to California scattered about the house, in various stages of unpackedness (is that a word?) and TONS of little projects that need to be tackled. I have lots of bills to catch up on. Various Christmas cards to respond to. Pictures to organize and post somewhere. Social events to plan and partake in. My to-do list is a mile long.

Do I really have time for blogging?

Yet THIS blog, Simplicity Sake, appeals to me. My life could use some streamlining. In the past month or so, I have found myself in conversations with people all centered around the subject of simplicity. Of enjoying life. Of being okay with mediocrity. Of celerating the things that really matter. It is pretty easy to get swallowed up into the intoxication of success at work or a super-organized home or the perfect birthday party for your 2-year-old. I don't want to miss out anymore. And I think a lot of people are on the same page as I am on that.

So I'll do a blog post. It might not be a stunning work of literary genius. But it will be where I am today. Ten minutes out of my life to focus on some thought for myself. That's not a bad start.